Examining police-involved anti-gang programs and strategies in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia

In recent years, the Lower Mainland District (LMD) in the province of British Columbia (BC), Canada, has experienced an increase in gang violence as a result of the illicit drug trade. This major paper explores police-involved anti-gang programs and strategies for at-risk and gang-involved youth in the LMD. After reviewing the scholarly literature published in North America, this major paper examines the research on gang prevention, intervention, suppression, and comprehensive programs determined to be effective for gang-involved youth. In addition to a review of the literature, this major paper specifically examines two youth gang prevention programs, namely the Surrey Wraparound program and the Abbotsford Youth Crime Prevention Project, which are both currently funded by the National Crime Prevention Centre’s (NCPC) Youth Gang Prevention Fund (YGPF). The research findings highlight the opportunities for researchers, educators, and policy makers to implement appropriate gang prevention programs that can help reduce gang violence in the LMD.